SBS World News Radio

A WARNING THAT THIS STORY MAY BE DISTRESSING FOR SOME LISTENERS The New South Wales government is investigating the circumstances surrounding the escape of two patients from the same hospital, who days later were allegedly involved in separate incidents where three people died. Mental health professionals say it's again thrown the state's mental health care crisis into the spotlight.

SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves speaks with Hugh Lam, CFA from Betashares for his take on the markets as the ASX200 hits another record high, the jobless rate remains at 4.1% and takes a look at the latest company profit reports.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has blocked the immediate return of an Australian woman from Syria via a temporary exclusion order. It follows what the government is calling its no assistance policy for 34 citizens recently turned back by Syrian authorities. While the Prime Minister insists those who joined the IS Group must live with their choices, legal and human rights experts argue that abandoning children and coerced women in detention camps poses a greater long-term radicalisation risk than bringing them home to Australia.

The holy month of Ramadan is underway, with Muslims around the world marking Iftar - the first day of the fasting period. In Australia, venues are catering to the growing number of observers, opening their doors until long after sunset and into the early hours of the morning.

Marco Rubio sends mixed messages to Europe, Israel starts registration of large areas of the occupied West Bank and how new is Bangladesh's new government? Plus, Chinoys celebrate lunar new year in the Philippines and Cocaine Sharks coming to waters near you.

Australia's road toll is rising, and new warnings suggest the country is drifting away from its goal of halving deaths by 2030. More than thirteen hundred people were killed on Australian roads last year, with early 2026 figures showing little sign of improvement. Industry leaders and victim advocates are calling for urgent action, from safer street design to changes in driver behaviour, as families continue to live with the consequences of road trauma every day.

Religious leaders and academic experts have faced a New South Wales parliamentary inquiry into a proposed law to combat right wing extremism. This, as the state government introduced the crime amendment bill following a neo-nazi protest outside state Parliament in November last year. The Law and Safety committee have been investigating the risks posed by certain groups, and are looking into the best ways to counter it.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has partially walked back anti-Muslim comments she made earlier this week, but has refused to offer a full apology. The backlash against Senator Hanson's comments continues from all sides of politics, with Labor and Coalition politicians condemning the remarks. Australia's Islamophobia envoy has invited Senator Hanson to an Iftar dinner during the holy month of Ramadan, where he encourages her to ask questions directly.

SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves speaks with Devika Shivadear from RSM Australia about the latest Wage Price Index which shows real wages has gone backwards; plus a look at the day on the sharemarket with Jun Bei Lui from Ten Cap.

The first national report on racism at universities in Australia has found it is a problem that is widespread and systemic. The report found 70 per cent of students and staff from 42 universities had witnessed racism. Levels of racism were higher among Indigenous, Chinese, African, Jewish and Middle Eastern students and staff; with only six per cent of those who experienced racism making a complaint.

Influential civil rights leader Reverend Jesse Jackson has died at the age of 84. Devoting six decades of his life to political and civil rights activism, Jesse Jackson is being remembered for his charisma and conviction till the very end.

The last remaining Australian women and children with links to the IS Group have been sent back to a Syrian camp after attempting to repatriate themselves home. The group of 34 left al-Roj in the country's northeast overnight - but a communications issue with Damascus forced their return to the camp.

SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves speaks with BHP CFO Vandita Pant following the miner's US$5.6bn half-year profit to find out more about its growing copper business and future dividend policy; plus Jonathan Shead from State Street Investment Management on the investment environment.

Australia's unique wildlife is facing an escalating extinction crisis, driven primarily by climate change and compounded by habitat loss. 34 new species of plants and animals have been added to the government's threatened species list this February, including the lemuroid ringtail possum - native to north Queensland's Wet Tropics region. Researchers say urgent climate action and stronger environmental protections are critical to prevent further irreversible loss of Australia's signature biodiversity.

The Lunar New Year has begun with vibrant celebrations welcoming the Year of the Horse, from fireworks in Vietnam and bustling Hong Kong markets to festive streets in Malaysia and Peru. Families gather for symbolic meals, travellers embrace cultural traditions, and global leaders send messages of unity, marking a holiday that connects communities across Asia and around the world.

Australia's competition watchdog is suing supermarket chain Coles in the Federal Court. The ACCC alleges Coles deceived shoppers about discounts on a range of goods. It's a case that could have wide-ranging implications for consumer law.

SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves speaks with Alex Pikoulas from Munjarra Capital about the day's market action including the latest profit results and the turn around in the tech sector; plus Anthony Walker from SP Global Ratings after the IMF warned Australian states to reign in spending.

.The Gaza Strip is home to some extraordinary remnants of human history, dating from the Bronze Age through to the Ottoman and British empires.Many historic sites suffered from neglect before the war - but the United Nations cultural agency, UNESCO, says it has verified damage to at least 150 historic heritage sites since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict. Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are reckoning with how to save their historical monuments.

From Munich to Melbourne, hundreds of thousands have turned out to oppose Iran's clerical leadership in the wake of a brutal crackdown on protesters inside the country. While opinions differ over who should take over the current regime, protesters all voiced their desire for an Iran free from oppression.

The Murray Darling Basin management plan is currently under review. Public submissions on a discussion paper [[see it here: https://www.mdba.gov.au/publications-and-data/publications/2026-basin-plan-review-discussion-paper]] are being accepted until  1 May 2026, as authorities determine their next steps in managing Australia's biggest river ecosystem. SBS has spoken with the national director of the Murray Darling Conservation Alliance, Craig Wilkins, about what those next steps should be.

Women and girls are bearing the brunt of Sudan's nearly three-year-old civil war, facing widespread gender-based violence, displacement and deepening hunger as the conflict intensifies. 18-year-old Mariam, a survivor of sexual violence has had to flee escalating violence to an under-resourced displacement camp where food and medicine is in limited supply. With famine spreading and humanitarian access shrinking, organisations like Plan International warn the needs of survivors far exceed the support available.

Today marks a major milestone in Australia's financial history – the 60th anniversary of decimal currency. It's been decades since Australians ditched pounds, shillings and pence for dollars and cents – in one of the largest transitions in the nation's history. And while the way we pay for things continues to change, the legacy of that moment endures.

Millions of people around the world will soon welcome in the Year of the Horse. A key part of Lunar New Year celebrations for many communities is lion dancing, which is said to bring good luck and prosperity into the new year. But it takes discipline to master the skill, as one group of dancers in Brisbane hopes to continue the traditional performance

Dumplings are popular dish for families celebrating Lunar New Year. In Melbourne, one restaurant is challenging tradition, with a make-your-own approach and a range of exotic flavours.

13 February is celebrated as World Radio Day. The day is designed to honour radio as a trusted and powerful form of communication. Today is also the 18th anniversary of the National Apology to the Stolen Generations. SBS NITV Radio's Kerri-Lee Barry has spoken to Charles Pakana from Victorian Aboriginal News, who says radio is a way to connect with each other as we share our histories and truth.

SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves speaks with Cochlear CEO Dig Howett about the hearing implant maker's latest results, the link between hearing loss and dementia and the impact the higher Australian dollar will have on its earnings. Plus Mahjabeen Zaman from ANZ looks at the drivers of the surging currency and market implications.

Angus Taylor has seized the Liberal Party leadership in a decisive party room vote - 34 to 17 - ending Sussan Ley's nine-month tenure as the party's first female leader. Backed by new deputy Jane Hume, the Rhodes scholar and former Shadow Treasurer now faces the challenge of rebuilding a fractured base while navigating a political history marked by significant past controversies.

While the whiskers on a cat might be known to help them balance and detect their surroundings, scientists have discovered elephants have super whiskers too. Around 1,000 whiskers cover their trunks, giving them a sense of touch that compensates for their thick skin and poor eyesight. Researchers in Germany are now working to translate the elephant's sensitive touch to robotic science.

The United States' border chief has announced ICE agents will withdraw from Minnesota. This ends a two-month surge operation which resulted in two US citizens being killed by federal agents, and thousands of arrests. It follows mass protests in the state and across the country, as well as condemnation by Democratic Senators over the violent immigration crackdown.

A massive win for Japan's hawkish first female PM worries China, conservatives reclaim Thailand and Jimmy Lai, Hong Kong's most high-profile casualty of draconian security laws gets a ‘death sentence'. Plus, trouble growing at the winter Olympics.

SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves speaks with AMP CEO Alexis George following the financial services company's full-year results as she prepares to step down, including her advice to aspiring female leaders; plus Stephanie Youssef discusses the day's market action with market analyst Evan Lucas.

The federal government has released its latest report card on its Closing the Gap targets, which are meant to improve the lives of Indigenous Australians. The data shows just four of the 19 targets are on track. Anthony Albanese has used his annual closing the gap speech on Thursday to announce a $144 million boost to Indigenous health to upgrade more than 100 services in cities and regional areas. But some - like the incarceration rates of First Nations people - continue to worsen.

Former Shadow Minister for Defence Angus Taylor has triggered a formal leadership challenge against Sussan Ley, prompting a wave of coordinated frontbench resignations. The coalition is reeling from historic polling lows. While Mr Taylor campaigns for a "decisive" reset of the party's values, a loyal faction of Liberals is fighting to protect Ms Ley's position, arguing she deserves more time to stabilise the party room before Friday's high-stakes ballot.

The US Attorney-General has faced an onslaught of questions into the Department of Justice's handling of the more than 3 million files released related to late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Survivors and critics are demanding transparency and justice for the more than one thousand victims identified, as Pam Bondi faced a Senate congressional hearing.

On Thursday, the four-booster Ariane 64 is scheduled to lift off from French Guiana on its maiden flight. This powerful version of the Ariane 6 rocket will carry 32 satellites for Amazon Leo's broadband constellation. At a time when the United States is seen as a potentially unreliable partner, this is a key milestone in Europe's effort to secure independent access to space.

SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves speaks with Commonwealth Bank CEO Matt Comyn following the groups $5.45bn half- year cash profit announcement, including a deep dive into artificial technology and productivity; plus Luke Laretive from Seneca Financial Solutions takes a look at the day's market action.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has enjoyed a ceremonial welcome and a lunch with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Canberra. President Herzog and his wife, Michal, were given a ceremonial 21-gun salute by the Federation Guard before attending a garden function at the Israeli embassy. His visit has been dogged by protests, with demonstrators saying he should not have been invited in the first place,

The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and Australian Federal Police have been questioned about their actions before and after the Bondi terror attack, with Australia's top spy agency defending its failure to prevent it. During a senate estimates hearing late on Tuesday night, the AFP also warned it will take a more aggressive approach to tackling hate and extremism.

Public consultation has opened on a review into the management plan for the Murray–Darling Basin, Australia's largest river system. The announcement has come weeks after Environment Minister Murray Watt listed the lower Murray River region as critically endangered. Conservation groups have reacted cautiously, saying they hope the review leads to decisive action for a Basin that underpins public health, regional livelihoods, and cultural connection for millions.

Acute malnutrition has now reached famine levels in two more regions of North Darfur in Sudan, according to a new report from a UN-backed global hunger monitor.

A contentious hearing of the US House Committee on Homeland Security has exposed deep divisions over immigration enforcement following the death of two American citizens at the hands of Immigration and Customs Enforcrment, better known as ICE. While ICE officials framed the deaths as a result of officers facing increasing threats of harm, the argument was rejected with those holding the agency accountable, calling its tactics Gestapo-like.

SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves speaks with Todd Hoare from LGT Wealth Management about the day's market moves including the increasing risks AI poses to certain industries, what's driving the Australian dollar, and the opportunities for investors.

The Federal Government has launched a landmark $218 million national plan to end violence against First Nations women and children. It marks the first long-term strategy designed and led entirely by Indigenous communities. While the policy targets specialised healing and emergency services in remote areas, community leaders warn that real change also requires confronting the systemic racism and high rates of violence perpetrated by non-Indigenous men.

The Jeffrey Epstein saga has continued to make headlines. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has come under new pressure to resign, amid an expanding scandal over his appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the US despite ties to Epstein. The latest tranche of files relating to the convicted sex offender have also brought new scrutiny to former prince Andrew, with UK police assessing reports he sent sensitive information to Epstein. Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell has refused to testify before a US congressional committee.

Hong Kong's most vocal China critic, media tycoon Jimmy Lai, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison, ending the city's largest national security case. Mr Lai's sentence on two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one for publishing seditious materials ends a legal saga that has lasted nearly five years.

Primary Ethics is an independent, not-for-profit organisation and provides ethics classes for school students across New South Wales. Classes are impartially run by volunteers and the program has been implemented in hundreds of schools. Facilitator Feyza Tuncay became involved with Primary Ethics when she started volunteering as an ethics teacher at her son's school. She's speaking here to SBS News' Jennifer Scherer.

Dozens of people have been arrested after a demonstration against Israel's visiting president descended into chaos. New South Wales Police say 10 of the 27 people arrested on Monday night were taken into custody for assaulting police, while witnesses have alleged that some officers were seen beating and deploying pepper spray at attendees.

SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves speaks with George Boubouras from K2 Asset Management to find out why the market has been so volatile of late as he takes a closer look at how investors will be analysing AI investments during the upcoming reporting season.

A new opinion poll has support for the Coalition at a record low with Opposition Leader Sussan Ley the least popular leader in 23 years. The poll comes a day after she and Nationals leader David Littleproud brokered a deal to reunite the Liberal and National parties.

A Danish app born out of Donald Trump's Greenland rhetoric is turning everyday grocery shopping into a quiet act of protest. As shoppers scan products to see where their money really goes, technology, politics and consumer choice collide, revealing how global tensions can play out not in parliaments or protests, but in supermarket aisles.

Indigenous leaders and community members in Minneapolis have held a memorial honouring two people shot dead by immigration officers last month. As protests against the widespread immigration crackdown continue, Republicans and Democrats remain locked in a standoff over reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The debate in the Senate continues as the deadline for reaching a funding agreement for the Department of Homeland Security looms.